1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arrangement structure for an auxiliary component of a vehicle component in a region outside of a bottom surface of a passenger compartment of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, there has been known an arrangement structure for an auxiliary component of a vehicle, as shown in FIGS. 42, 43 and 44, wherein FIG. 42 is a schematic top plan view of a passenger compartment, and FIGS. 43 and 44 are side views of the arrangement structure, viewed, respectively, from the side of a driver's seat and from the side of a front passenger seat.
Specifically, FIGS. 42, 43 and 44 show an arrangement structure for an auxiliary component of a four-passenger (four-seater) vehicle. In this arrangement structure, a driver's seat 101 and a front passenger seat 102 are disposed right and left on a front region of a floor panel 100 defining a bottom surface of a passenger compartment, in spaced-apart side-by-side relation to one another. A kick-up portion 103 stepped upward is formed in a rear region of the floor panel 100 in such a manner to extend in a width or lateral direction of a vehicle body at an even height. A pair of right and left rear seats 104, 105 are disposed on the kick-up portion 103 in side-by-side relation to one another, and a fuel tank 106 as an auxiliary component is arranged below an outer surface of a laterally intermediate region of the kick-up portion 103.
As another example, the following Patent Publication 1 discloses an arrangement structure for an auxiliary component of a vehicle. In this arrangement structure, a floor panel is formed with a kick-up portion which has an even height in a lateral direction of a vehicle body and includes a downward curved region and an extension region extending upward directly from the downward curved region. A rear seat is disposed on the kick-up portion, and a fuel tank is arranged below an outer surface of the kick-up portion. Further, the fuel tank has a top surface formed in conformity to respective shapes of the downward curved region and the extension region.
As yet another example, the following Patent Publication 2 discloses an arrangement structure for an auxiliary component of a vehicle. In this arrangement structure, a kick-up zone stepped upward is formed in a floor panel, and a kick-up floor zone is formed to extend continuously rearward from the kick-up zone. Further, a rear kick-up zone is formed to extend upward from a rear edge of the kick-up floor zone, and a rear kick-up floor zone is formed to extend continuously rearward from the rear kick-up zone. Each of the kick-up zone, the kick-up floor zone, the rear kick-up zone and the rear kick-up floor zone is formed to have an even height in a lateral direction of a vehicle body. A rear seat is disposed on the kick-up floor zone and the rear kick-up zone, and a fuel tank is arranged below a continuous outer surface of the kick-up zone, the kick-up floor zone, the rear kick-up zone and the rear kick-up floor zone. The fuel tank has a shape conformable to the shape of the continuous outer surface of the respective zones.
[Patent Publication 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 06-211169
[Patent Publication 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 05-000627
In the above conventional structures, the kick-up portion is formed to have an even area and height in a lateral direction of a vehicle body. Thus, if the vehicle is designed to allow two passengers to be seated, respectively, in the rear seats 104, 105 disposed on the kick-up portion, an overall vehicle height has to be increased across the lateral direction. This hinders downsizing the vehicle.
In view of this problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement structure for an auxiliary component of a vehicle, capable of allowing a vehicle to have a low overall-height compact body while achieving enhanced layout flexibility and assuring a passenger compartment space.